Cogswell's bats erupt in 10-1 winCourier sports staff MOUNTAIN HOME - Dusty Price and Mark Kohler each hit a two-run homer Thursday afternoon, and Dylan Hawkins added a solo blast to lead Cogswell Motors to a convincing 10-1 victory over West Plains (Mo.) in the opening round of the 18th annual Twin Lakes Lockeroom Classic. The trio of long balls proved to be more than enough offense for Russellville's AAA American Legion squad as Kohler and Willie Beights combined to pitch a...

Russellville AA tops NLRBy Todd Brooks sports@couriernews.com After Superior Foods helped North Little Rock get back into the game, the visitors returned the favor in the late innings as Russellville Superior Foods downed the Colts, 7-6, in American Legion AA action Wednesday at Arkansas Tech Field in the first of two baseball games. Russellville took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first as Superior Foods batters got four hits off of North Little Rock starter Keith ...

Legion teams split twinbillCourier sports staff JACKSONVILLE - Connor Freeman and Zach Jamell combined for a two-hit shutout as Superior Foods rolled to a 10-0 victory over Gwatney Chevrolet in the first game of an American Legion baseball doubleheader Monday night. Freeman pitched four innings and allowed just one hit to pick up the victory, while Jamell allowed one hit in one inning in a game called after five innings because of the eight-run rule. Freeman helped his ...

Superior Foods blasts NLR for 12-1 victoryCourier sports staff NORTH LITTLE ROCK - Brent Race and Kyle McCabe provided the big sticks, and Caleb Powers had a solid performance on the mound as Superior Foods rolled to a 12-1 victory over North Little Rock in American Legion baseball action Tuesday night. Race drove in six runs with a home run and a triple, and McCabe added a grand slam for Russellville's AA team, which improved its record to 8-6. That was more than enough cushion for P...

Russellville AA squad falls twiceBy Henry C. Apple sportseditor@couriernews.com Sometimes change is a good thing, but that wasn't the case for Superior Foods in the first game of Saturday's American Legion doubleheader at Hickey Park. Greenbrier Play Again Sports took advantage of a pitching change with a six-run fourth and held on for a 7-5 victory over Russellville's AA squad. In the second game, Superior Foods took on Nabholz, Greenbrier's AAA team, and suffered a 14-1 set...

Cogswell hurlers combine for one-hitterCourier sports staff Mark Kohler and Brandon Brown combined to pitch a one-hit shutout and led Russellville Cogswell Motors to an 11-0 victory over Dardanelle Dodge City in the second game of Thursday night's American Legion doubleheader at Arkansas Tech Field. Kohler pitched three scoreless innings and picked up the win in a game shortened to five innings because of the eight-run rule used in Legion games. Brown allowed the lone Dardanelle hi...

Superior Foods rallies for 10-9 winBy Henry C. Apple sportseditor@couriernews.com Superior Foods had to wait for a few troops to arrive before making a late charge Thursday night against Dardanelle Dodge City. Yet, it was a couple of unlikely heroes who struck the telling blow for Russellville's AA American Legion team. Nick Smith bounced a one-out single up the middle in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring Evan Adney with the winning run as Superior Foods rallied for a 1...

Cogswell Motors, Superior Foods tearing up tourneysCourier sports staff Both the Russellville American Legion teams remained unbeaten in their respective tournaments Saturday. The AAA Cogswell Motors team, playing in the Maumelle Memorial Day Classic, won its opener with an 8-6 comeback victory over White Hall. The AA Superior Foods team won its second game in as many tries at the North Little Rock Memorial Day Invitational by downing Vilonia, 5-1. Cogswell's tourament is bracket play, while S...

Superior Foods gets 6-2 victoryCourier sports staff NORTH LITTLE ROCK - Superior Foods, the Russellville American Legion AA team, won its opener against Maumelle in the North Little Rock tournament Thursday night, 6-2, behind a strong pitching performance from Connor Freeman and Brandon Brown. The duo combined to strike out 10, while allowing six hits. They also played a crucial role in scoring their team's runs. After Maumelle took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, Russe...

Cogswell Motors edges North Little Rock, 5-3Courier sports staff Cogswell Motors' Dusty Price outdueled North Little Rock's Chris Rhoads as the Russellville AAA American Legion team took a 5-3 victory Wednesday at Arkansas Tech Field. Price, who plays for Arkansas Tech, gave up just three hits in the complete game with all of the Colts' runs coming in the final inning on a hit, an error and a home run. Rhoads, a pitcher at Pratt Junior College in Kansas, didn't intimidate Cogswell with ...

Superior Foods can't hold on for victoryBy Todd Brooks sports@couriernews.com North Little Rock rallied for seven runs in the final three innings to steal a 7-6 win from Russellville Superior Foods in American League AA action Wednesday at Arkansas Tech Field. Russellville starter Dylan Hawkins pitched a perfect game through the first three innings, including striking out seven in a row, but the relievers couldn't hold on to the 4-0 lead that the left-hander left the game with. Supe...

Bryant belts Superior Foods twiceBy Henry C. Apple sportseditor@couriernews.com Superior Foods had no problems getting the lead in its doubleheader Saturday against Bryant. Keeping those leads, however, was a different story. Russellville's AA American Legion team had its share of time in front, only to drop both games at Arkansas Tech Field. The visiting Black Sox claimed a 9-5 victory in the first game, then completed a sweep with a 10-8 win in the second outing. In the ope...

Price is right in shutout as Cogswell wins openerBy Todd Brooks sports@couriernews.com Dusty Price tossed a four-hit complete game shutout to lead Cogswell Motors of Russellville to a 5-0 victory over Vilonia in American Legion AAA action Thursday night at Arkansas Tech Field. The game was the season opener for both teams, but there weren't many first-game mistakes to be found from either dugout. "The defense wasn't bad," Cogswell Motors coach Dick Wright said. "We had a couple of errors, bu...

AA Legion team superior in openerBy Todd Brooks sports@couriernews.com Russellville Superior Foods played a solid all-around game in its first action of the season as the American Legion AA team blew away Vilonia 17-1 in five innings Thursday at Arkansas Tech Field. After a scoreless first inning, Russellville exploded for eight runs each in the second and third innings to break the game open before adding the final run in the bottom of the fourth. On the mound, Brandon Austi...

Russellville Junior High West girls bring home top honorsCourier sports staff HEBER SPRINGS - Russellville Junior High's West girls had a closer call Monday night, but the Lady Whirlwinds still came away with the team title at the Panther Relays. Russellville West finished the meet with 106 points, just 10 more than Batesville Southside. Heber Springs finished third with 71 in the meet. The Lady Whirlwinds won only two events, with both victories coming in relays. The team of Atalie Knight, Tamesha ...

RJHS West girls set new school relay markCourier sports staff VAN BUREN - Russellville Junior High's West girls broke a school record that had stood for 26 years while winning the team title during a track meet held here Thursday night. The Lady Whirlwinds' team of Atalie Knight, Tamesha Bazelle, Jessica Myers and Janie Blackmon won the 1,600-meter relay in a time of 4 minutes, 19.53 seconds, eclipsing the previous mark of 4:24.54 by the team of Tammy Watson, L. Wilson, Belinda Abern...

RJHS West girls win Wampus Kitten RelaysCourier sports staff Russellville Junior High's West girls placed first in six events while participating in the Wampus Kitten Relays held Tuesday night in Conway. Placing first in their respective events for the Lady Whirlwinds included Krista Aylesworth, who cleared 4 foot, 10 inches in the high jump; Laura Anderson, who cleared 8-6 in the pole vault; Brittany Blackmon, who ran the 1,600-meter run in 5 minutes, 44.93 seconds; Janie Blackmon,...

RJHS West girls win Whirlwind RelaysCourier sports staff Russellville Junior High's West girls turned another winning performance Tuesday by winning the Whirlwind Relays title at Cyclone Stadium. The Lady Whirlwinds finished the meet with 148 points, with Lake Hamilton a distant second with 105. Morrilton was third with 95, with Russellville East and Conway White rounding out the top five with 44 and 42, respectively. The twin sister duo of Janie and Brittany Blackmon gave Russe...

RJHS West runs away with Bryant Junior Relays titleCourier sports staff BRYANT - Russellville Junior High's West girls were a runaway winner with an impressive performance in the Bryant Junior Relays held Thursday night. The Lady Whirlwinds finished with a total of 177 points, well ahead of Sheridan and Bryant, which finished with 104 and 103 points, respectively. Russellville's East girls finished fourth with 58 points. Russellville West won eight events in the meet, with Janie Blackmon being...